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In this article, we’re diving deep into the topic of extreme frugality. What is extreme frugality, is it an example of frugal living gone too far, what are some examples of frugal living to the extreme, and how can you tell if you’re in the depths of the frugal lifestyle? Let’s unpack.
Living frugally is overwhelmingly referred to as a positive habit. It encourages healthy spending habits, a more eco-conscious outlook, placing your priorities with the things that bring value to your life, and overall building a life that works best for you.
As with all lifestyle choices, however, it’s possible to take it too far.
Enter, extreme frugality.
This term refers to cases in which frugal living is just that bit too…much. We’ve touched on this topic before when looking at the differences between being frugal vs thrifty, and being frugal vs being cheap or stingy.
How To Identify Extreme Frugality
Before diving into some examples of extreme frugality (plus some effective extreme frugal lifestyles), let’s take a look at ways you can identify this habit vs standard frugal habits.
1. You’re Using Frugal Living As An Excuse To Avoid Something
Do you skip social events with the excuse that you need to save money, when in fact it’s because you’re a total introvert? Do you eat the same meal, over and over again, because it’s cheap – but also because you don’t want to try eating new foods?
Bring some awareness into your money-saving habits and look beyond just the money. If you’re using those habits to mask something you’d be better off facing head-on, recognizing that fact is the first step.
2. Your Lifestyle Is Worse Off For Being Frugal
For some people, extreme frugality may be making your lifestyle far worse than it would be if you had stereotypical spending habits.
It’s when you’re miserable because of frugality that you need to question what’s more important: a few pennies, or your happiness?
3. You Feel Isolated
Does your extreme approach to frugality leave you isolated from other people? If your social life is suffering as a result of a quest to save money, this could be a sign that you need to re-evaluate things.
Read this next: 21 ways to live a more intentional life and get back on the right path.
4. You Never Treat Yourself
One of the best things I learned from Parks and Recreation (and believe me, there’s a lot of lessons in that show) is that sometimes, you’ve got to treat yo self.
If extreme frugality means you never use your money for your own happiness, that’s a sign things have gotten too far.
5. You Don’t Actually Enjoy Being Frugal
There’s a real difference between missing out and FOMO. It only takes a shift in perspective to realize that all those holidays, expensive belongings, and extravagant purchases the people all around you are making go hand in hand with a heap of debt that being frugal allows you to avoid. That’s frugal living done right.
However, frugality may have gone too far if you don’t even enjoy being frugal anymore. When the joy of your lifestyle choices has disappeared, maybe things have shifted too far away from a healthy balance.
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Examples Of Where Extreme Frugality Goes Too Far
Extreme frugality will often come at the expense of something else – and often, it’s the person inflicting these habits that suffers in the long term.
Here are a few examples of when that might happen.
1. Health Issues
Opting for the cheapest options, like instant noodles instead of nutritious meals, might save money but can harm your health. This could lead to malnutrition, weakened immunity, and long-term health problems like obesity or vitamin deficiencies.
A prime example of this is this case in which a university student ate nothing but instant noodles for three weeks to save money. Sadly, the frugal diet caused health complications which ended in her being hospitalized.
2. Missed Social Connections
Overly strict frugality might cause you to miss out on social gatherings and events due to concerns about spending. This could lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness because you’re not spending time with loved ones.
This is something that is all too common – this reader felt that her savings goals were affecting her social life, for example. Sometimes sacrifices need to be made to reach your goals, but it’s important to analyze whether the cost is worth what you’re putting in.
3. Compromised Comfort and Safety
Denying yourself basic comforts like heating or choosing cheap, potentially unsafe products can impact your well-being and safety. This lady, for example, says she hasn’t put her heating on for two years and is proud of how much money she’s saved.
While this might be working for her, for others, it could be a dangerous move putting your health and mental well-being at risk.
4. Obsessive Behaviors
Frugality can turn into an obsession, where you might constantly think about saving money, or it could lead to compulsive behaviors like hoarding items just because they are on sale.
Fear of spending money is so common that it’s classed as a form of OCD.
Examples of Potential Positive Extreme Frugality
With all of the above said some examples of what may be considered extreme frugality can also be seen as positive movements.
These examples are where someone has fully adopted a lifestyle choice that may seem odd to the majority of people, but work for many others nevertheless.
It’s similar to the vegan lifestyle, for example. To many, this is an extreme lifestyle change – but that doesn’t mean it’s a negative change to make to your life at all. Examples of positive extreme frugality include:
1. Zero-Waste Lifestyle
This involves minimizing waste to an extreme degree, often resulting in a significant reduction in environmental impact. It includes practices like reusing items, composting, buying in bulk to reduce packaging, and making products at home to avoid waste.
Have a look at these 80 Frugal Green Living Tips For A Sustainable 2024 for some examples of zero-waste living tips.
2. Minimalism
Living a minimalist lifestyle, where you only own what you truly need and use, can be a form of extreme frugality. It often leads to less spending, and less waste, and can contribute to a clearer, more focused mindset.
We’ve covered minimalist living in-depth before. Read these 10 steps to being more minimalist to get started.
3. House Hacking
This is a strategy where you buy a property, live in part of it, and rent out the other parts. This can significantly reduce or even eliminate housing costs, which are typically one of the biggest expenses for individuals and families
4. Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) Movement
Many adherents of the FIRE movement practice extreme savings and frugality to retire much earlier than traditional retirement age. This often involves saving a large percentage of income and living frugally to build up enough savings to retire decades early.
This list of popular FIRE bloggers will show you some examples of people following this lifestyle and excelling at it!
5. Homesteading
Living a homesteading lifestyle involves producing as much of your food and resources as possible. This can include growing vegetables, raising livestock, and preserving food, which can greatly reduce living costs.
The Frugalwoods are great examples of people choosing the homesteading lifestyle out of a want for a simpler, quieter life.
Final Thoughts
This post was initially inspired by a long-delayed hair cut that I had put off in the name of frugality and then regretted because it gave me a huge confidence boost. That may seem like kind of a dumb thing for a lot of people.
That’s not the real point, though.
The point is that sometimes, your own happiness – be it short-term or long-term – is more important than the lifestyle you’re trying to adhere to, or the fastest route to financial freedom.
As for me, I’ve already accepted the fact that I’ll be paying for my £50 haircut every 3 months, and that if I ever want my social anxiety to improve I need to face the situations that escalate it, not run from them – and honestly? The cost of creating that happier life for myself is priceless.
Carolyn says
You are not the only one who dreaded going to the salon. I would rather go to the dentist. I went over a year since my last haircut ( a horrible one at that) when I had my new boyfriend, now husband give me a haircut in his kitchen. I mentioned my hair was in rough shape as he was playing with it and that I knew I needed it cut. He told me he could cut it for me if I wanted him to. No trip to the salon? You can cut it for me was my question and I asked for details about his ability to do it. He said he had done so many times before for female friends and his ex, he had good shears, hair clips and a sectioning comb. He explained the process and it sounded good. I was on my second glass of wine, so I said not now, but tomorrow morning is better for me. He said fine, see you in the morning, just have your hair washed and dried, no product in it. So I knocked on his door and announced I was there for my hair appointment and he laughed. He poured me a cup of coffee and I took a seat on the stool. He combed my hair and I told him I know it is bad, it needs a good chopping, take off four inches. He said let’s take it slow, I am not going to need to cut that much off. So he sectioned it, pinned it up, then started at my nape and trimmed each layer. He did 90 degree cutting on the sides to blend the badly chopped layers in my hair. He took off about an inch and a half, that’s all. When he finished, he had me sit tight while he swept up the clippings on the floor, then I dashed to the bathroom mirror to inspect his work. I looked in the mirror and I was so happy, my hair looked great! He gave me a hand mirror to check the back. It was the best haircut I could ever remember getting and it was free! I wasn’t going to have to go to the salon. I informed him he was now my hair guy. I had to work that evening and when I went to work my friend/coworker knew I had been talking about getting a haircut and she told me my hair looked great. She knew my budget was tight, so she followed up with where did you get it cut and how much did it cost you with a concerned look on her face, afraid I spent too much. I told her my new guy cut for me this morning and it was FREE! She did a closer inspection of my hair and said it looks great, he did a really nice job. So I am still having him cut my hair for me years later. I have him trim my hair every other month, I have not been back to the salon since! I save hundreds a year, great looking hair that I get compliments on and I had hubby cut my best friend’s hair three days before our wedding as she had gone months since a bad haircut at the salon and I wanted her to look good for the pictures. He did henna color to balance out her natural hair color and the mess the salon made. She was vey happy, got compliments at work and told me she asked for her stylist’s number and can they make an appointment. I told her no, I don’t want strangers coming to the house. I told her I was fine with him cutting her hair and she she does have him continue to cut hers, but I don’t want the interruptions of what our plans are. He cuts my hair, my mom’s, my chilildren’s and hers. He also gave her daughter a much needed haircut last year when she stopped by with her mom when she was home visiting. So I am spoiled and I don’t have to do that salon thing I always dreaded.
The Wallet Moth says
Lucky you! I need to find myself a friend like your husband! 🙂
Carolyn says
That’s funny! I have had a couple friends ask if they could “borrow my husband” for a few hours. I thank them for the compliment, but he is pretty busy here at home between, the garden, the bees, the chickens, doing routine car maintenance and all of the cooking, so I am not going to loan him out. I have sent him over to help my mother with a plumbing, electrical or help with her car issues. But that is my mom and she has gotten to where she doesn’t call me first, she calls him directly.
he usually doesn’t mind helping. I have asked him and he has helped my sister clean out from snow as he had the snowblower on the back of his truck to clear out our rental property an my sister’s place is along the way. Most of the time when I have asked him to give a friend a haircut it has been at our house, there was one time that was kind of funny and that was last year when my best friend invited us to a barbecue, and she asked if hubby could bring his hair shears. He did as well as the cape, clips, comb, etc in the kit bag and trimmed her hair out on her deck. clean up was easy as she just swept the clippings into the bushes off of her deck, she said friend ou can trust it is good fertilizer.
I hope you do find a friend you can trust to cut your hair for you, it is so much nicer telling my hubby I need a trim and he does it versus booking an appointment, etc.
Keri says
I hated going to the salon. It wasn’t the money I spent, it was the fear of them messing up my hair, which I am very picky about. My worst experience was about ten years ago. I went to a new salon after my divorce as I relocated back home with my parents, tough situation there for sure. A coworker had recommended the place as she had good experiences there. Well my stylist was rude. I told him what I wanted and he acted like I was speaking another language. Well after my hair was washed he began yanking it as he tried to comb it. Instead of starting from the ends and working towards the roots, he just went from the roots and yanked and grumbled that he hated long hair. My hair was just below my shoulders, not long really. After the painful ordeal, he jerked my head around as he hacked away at my hair in a haphazrd fashion, then I heard the ripping sound as he used a razor on my hair after I told him upfront I didn’t want him to use a razor or thinning shears on my hair. Well he shrieked at me that I don’t tell him how to cut hair. After he finished he used the blow dryer on my hair while styling it and he was burning my scalp. I told him it is too hot, you are burning my scalp, again he shrieked at me that I don’t tell him what to do. When he finished I say the final results and Ibstarted tearing up, I paid my bill which was $60 and then I tipped another $10. Stupid me. I went out to my car and I bawled my head off. I had shorter layers on top that were disconnected from the longer pieces on the back and sides that were now about four inches shorter when I told him to take off about an inch. It was horrible. I had other bad haircuts, but this one was the worst. I went over a year before I had my hair cut again, and I too would rather go to the dentist than the salon, even to get a tooth pulled, as the pain from the tooth will be gone in a couple days, but a bad haircut seems to stay with you a long time. It took over two years for me to recover from that bad haircut.
The Wallet Moth says
Oh no that sounds awful! 🙁 Thankfully I’ve never had an experience like that – those kinds of experiences do really stick with you! Hope you find yourself a much better (and kinder!) hairdresser in the future